“Where does Apple go from here? The question lies at the heart of the media and industry buzz that so often surrounds a company adept at surprising and confounding even the most jaded observers. It’s particularly pressing in light of the oblique reference to a ‘new product transition’ made by Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer during a July conference call with analysts,” Arik Hesseldahl writes for BusinessWeek.
“So I am left wondering, what might Apple have under its belt to surprise and delight customers over the next 6 to 24 months? Indulge me while I consider the prospect that at least for the foreseeable future, Apple has done virtually everything it could reasonably be expected to do, given consumer needs and the current state of tech and the economy. There are only so many world-changing moments that even Apple can create,” Hesseldahl writes.
“The Web is rife with rumors that Apple will next introduce a device that bridges the gap between the iPod touch and the Mac—a machine that’s one part mini-mobile PC and one part media and entertainment device. The idea seems obvious to anyone who’s used the iPod touch for e-mail and Web-browsing but wants a larger screen. While other PC companies like Dell and Asustek build mini-notebooks, Apple could best them all, or so the argument goes,” Hesseldahl writes.
“But then what? As obvious as the path to a tablet device seems now, I have trouble imagining the next obvious path that Apple might follow in 2009 and 2010. In fact, the company may very well be nearing a product plateau. And here’s the real kicker: That may not be a bad thing,” Hesseldahl writes.
“I’m not suggesting that Apple should slow down and take a breath on the innovation front. Not at all. The company now operates within substantially wider borders than it did when it unveiled the first iPod in 2001. Rather than widening those borders even further, there lies within them plenty of room for important, even if not world-changing innovations—not to mention scope for expanding Apple’s business,” Hesseldahl writes.
Full article here.
Even more stunning than Hesseldahl’s complete lack of imagination is his decision to spotlight it in an article for BusinessWeek.
There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.’ And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very very beginning. And we always will. – Apple CEO Steve Jobs, January 8, 2007
Even with a “plateau” in innovation, Apple’s plate is full to overflowing with expanding Apple platforms into over 30 other countrys in the world (going global).
Yet innovation is in Apple’s blood. There are still many “convergence” opportunities out there in TV, home entertainment, wireless developments, business, medical and the move to the cloud. After all, “works together well” is Apple’s forte.
What CAN’T Apple do with a software base like OS X? is the question he should be asking.
OS X has to be THE most valuable asset any company has ever created.
And what’s more, the speed with which it can be used and updated for new products will almost certainly be limited only be the hardware design and manufacturing process…
Swing at ’em Apple… show them the next 10 products they never knew they could not live without..!
Pretty much exemplifies most businesses in this country – No Imagination. SAD.
Hesseldahl’s statements make perfect sense. Instead of pushing the envelope ever further, Apple could, and should, fill the gaps between products, thereby preventing competitors from doing so.
By all accounts mobile comp0etitors are 3 to 5 years behind the iPhone. Apple could use this time to develop the next breakthrough. In the meantime fill in the gaps.
And that’s why he works for BusinessWeek and not heading up apple.
Apple tend to work on things for years before release , OSX , the iphone etc . They have their next 5-10 years mapped out or at least in draft form .
Why are these people allowed to write stupid articles like that. Just because he’s too stupid to come up with new ideas, he then believes that Apple and their creative teams has the same level of intelligence/creativity as him? LOL
Play a game of “Find the puck.”
Well, I predict Apple will finally retire the ‘i’ from all their future products by the end of this decade. Now, whether that will give rise to the ‘j’ I can’t tell. Feel free to go ahead and register all the domains starting with a ‘j.’
😮 )
MDN MW: case, how did it know?
Do you guys think that Apple would be opening retail stores all over the world if they did not have one hell of a future PRODUCT PIPELINE? The competition would like you to think that all the future contains is different colored nanos for the next 20 years. Don’t think so.
Pffft…. what a pinhead
The idiot journalists (and “tech analysts”) said the same thing after Mac (the second coming) Apple had saturated their “niche market” (remember that buzzword) And with the iPod (apple had sold an ipods to almost every one who would buy one and would be relegated to (the flat market of) selling replacements for those. Then came iPhone, which couldn’t succeed in the entrenched cellphone market.
I guess these idiots will never tire of the sound of their (thus far) completely wrong postulations of apple’s impending end of the road.
@ Jeff
Firewire interconnects for home audio and theater equipment was talked about and even demoed years ago. It all looked good for getting rid of RCA connectors, S-video, component, composite, fiber, ect.
Then one day “someone” said, “Gee, this makes it really easy to copy anything.
Firewire on home AV stuff stopped dead.
You can still go to the HAVI web site. http://www.havi.org/
But sadly it appears to have been ignored since 2004.
@sandra loght
That’s a very astute observation. I would rank that ‘rare.’
What the puck is he talking about?!?
Peace.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”cool smile” style=”border:0;” />
Olmecmystic
Now we know why Hesseldahl doesn’t work for Apple… no imagination!
Just because a writer lacks vision doesn’t mean others do. There are all kinds of useful products that Apple – or perhaps someone else – could make going forward.
In the immediate future, the best game box for the masses, with ‘net interactivity and communications features, does not yet exist. Further down the road, we’ll all want home robot helpers of various kinds. In between, there are many other products and services waiting to strike gold.
Mister Snitch..
You might have a great point regarding a game box.
I heard recently somewhere in the Mac news web outside of MDN that the Mac mini store displays were asked to be removed by Apple. Maybe adding Blue Ray and gaming console support will make Mac mini take off.. especially if they do it with a fair pricing scheme (ie. subsidizing console costs via it’s games.. like Microsoft does with the Xbox 360. Are they making a profit yet with that Xbox thing or is it still around just for monopolies sake?
… incorporating a DVR with the above capabilities with Apple TV / Mac mini would be a big sell, but I think Apple won’t do it. That would be a little TOO good for consumerism. If Apple can think different, they can get past the immediate need to control media and become realistic with what is out there in people’s homes (such as television programming via cable / Satellite and the rentals of physical media as seen with Blockbuster and Netflix.). Apple’s best bet would be to make a media player open to all media types. The consumer at that point will see and use Apple’s iTunes store. The combination of DVR, Blue Ray, gaming and the iTunes / iTunes Store would have people flockin’. Apple forgetting DVR in such a system would be like how the Sony’s product and music divisions squabbled over promoting the mp3 player market and consequently failed to man up to the iPod early on.
Sure, alot of people already have DVR systems with their cable or satellite service.. but for people who don’t have such service in place it would be a rational buy. And if Apple does the UI perfection they are good at, people currently using DVR systems from other vendors would probably switch and become enthralled in Apple’s product web.
Nope…
The next thing is an Apple TV with a Blu-Ray player. for about $200.
It’ll be THE device everyone will wanna have for the Holidays.
I know I’ll buy one and finally join the Blu-Ray universe.
from Alaska
Where’s the iTele guy when you need him? <g> This would be a perfect opportunity to bash us over the head with it again?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smirk” style=”border:0;” />
Boyarski.. never say nope again. All you added in your comment is nothing. You just described the same thing as I without the additions I mentioned. You sir are a fuckhead.